AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION for AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
What was lobbied
15 issue areas, each in the filer's own words, with who lobbied on it and where.
Budget/Appropriations BUD
FY2024, FY2025 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations - funding for the Legal Services Corporation; funding for the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review's Legal Orientation Program. FY2024, FY2025 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations - Defender Services Office, Administrative Office of the US Courts. FY2024, FY2025 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations - funding for democracy, human rights, and rule of law programs. FY2024, FY2025 Legislative Branch Appropriations - funding for the Library and Law Library of Congress. Activity in support of funding for the John R. Justice Prosecutor and Defender Services Office.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DENISE A CARDMAN | — |
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
| KRISTI GAINES | — |
| KENNETH GOLDSMITH | — |
| JAMES MICHAEL O'NEILL | — |
Civil Rights/Civil Liberties CIV
H.R.17/S. 728 - Paycheck Fairness Act S. 1723/H.R. 7227 - Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DENISE A CARDMAN | — |
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
Education EDU
H.R. 6951, the College Cost Reduction Act in support of in opposition to static maximum loan caps for law students and related provisions that would force borrowers into a less-regulated private market to access an education in law. Support for student loan debt forgiveness, reforming and strengthening the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, reduced student loan interest rates and ability to refine loans, and the continued suspension of federal student loan payments. General policy research and discussions surrounding student debt relief developments, including the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrows Workforce Act that would allow the use of 529 accounts for professional degrees and certifications. General issues regarding free speech standards in higher education universities.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| JAMES MICHAEL O'NEILL | — |
Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities FIN
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Statement of Policy Regarding Prohibition on Abusive Acts or Practices; Docket No CFPB-2023-0018; 88 Fed. Reg. 21883 (April 12, 2023)-provisions that could require creditor attorneys and law firms to act in the interests of consumers instead of their creditor clients in violation of the attorneys' existing ethical obligations or that would conflict with other existing state court ethical obligations ENABLERS Act - draft legislation regulating certain attorneys and law firms as financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act and requiring them to report certain attorney-client privileged and other protected client information to the Treasury Department. Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers; Docket No. FINCEN-2024-0005; RIN 1506-AB54, 89 Fed. Reg. 12424 (February 16, 2024) Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Final Rule on Beneficial Ownership Information Access and Safeguards; Document No. 2023-27973; RIN 1506-AB59, 88 Fed. Reg. 88732 (December 22, 2023) Restoring Court Authority Over Litigation Act - draft legislation clarifying that attorneys engaged in litigation should be regulated and disciplined solely by courts, federal agencies have no authority to regulate attorneys litigation activities, and parties in litigation have no federal private right of action against their opponents attorney for alleged litigation misconduct. Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Final Rule on Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Requirements; Document No. 2022-21020; RIN 1506-AB49, 87 Fed. Reg. 59498 (September 30, 2022). Financial Action Task Force Public Consultation Paper, Proposed Updates to Risk-Based Guidance to the Real Estate Sector-provisions requiring attorneys to submit suspicious transaction reports on their clients high-risk real estate transactions even when the information is protected by the attorney-client privilege. Financial Action Task Force White Paper for Public Consultation, Potential Amendments to Recommendation 24 (Transparency and Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons)-provisions considering requiring attorneys to hold their company clients' beneficial ownership information and disclose it to government authorities.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
Foreign Relations FOR
Support for U.S. ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Communications regarding increased support for investigation and prosecution of atrocity crimes, particularly crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. Draft legislation to amend U.S. law to extend domestic jurisdiction over crimes against humanity. Support for U.S. ratification of the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (Singapore Convention on Mediation). Issues relating to facilitating U.S. support and engagement with the International Criminal Court. Support for increased funding for democracy, human rights, and rule of law programs.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
| KRISTI GAINES | — |
| THOMAS MICHAEL SUSMAN | — |
Government Issues GOV
H.R. 927, S. 325 - Supreme Court Ethics Act H.R. 926, S. 359 - Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023 H. Res. 314 - Territorial Incorporation Doctrine Support for authorizing new federal judgeships. Issues regarding diversity jurisdiction - treating unincorporated and incorporated entities the same to determine if diversity jurisdiction exists. Support for permanently establishing/forming within the Department of Justice, the Office for Access to Justice. Proposed federal laws/ regulations related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data security, digital/personal privacy, intellectual property, in addition to how these issues could impact the legal profession, such as undermining the attorney-client privilege, the lawyers ethical duty to protect client confidentiality, the work product doctrine, and access to justice, as well as questions related to the federal courts longstanding authority to regulate and oversee the legal profession. General communication about the lawyer regulatory and disciplinary process. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Duty of Candor; Docket No. RM22-20-000, 87 Fed. Reg. 49784 (August 12, 2022)-provisions regulating certain attorneys engaged in the practice of law and requiring them to disclose certain attorney-client privileged and other protected client information. Draft Model Rules of Representative Conduct to be developed by an Administrative Conference of the United States working group that would regulate the conduct of attorneys and non-attorneys who represent parties and other interested persons in administrative adjudicative proceedings. Administrative Conference of the United States study on Regulation of Representatives in Agency Proceedings to explore how federal agencies regulate the conduct of attorneys and non-attorneys who represent parties and other interested persons in administrative adjudicative proceedings, and related best practices for federal agencies. Proposed Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel legal opinion further clarifying the ability of government attorneys and other employees to participate more fully in outside organizations, including legal professional associations. Revised Department of Justice ethics guidance (Representations Before the Government) further clarifying the ability of government attorneys and other employees to participate more fully in outside organizations, including legal professional associations.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DENISE A CARDMAN | — |
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
| KRISTI GAINES | — |
| JAMES MICHAEL O'NEILL | — |
Immigration IMM
General issues regarding the potential dismantling of asylum protections in supplemental appropriations negotiations. Detention Bond Reform - Communications regarding reconsideration of current procedures for making immigration bond determinations. S.2327, H.R.4627, the Afghan Adjustment Act and other measures to facilitate permanent legal status for certain Afghans present in the U.S. FR Doc. 2024-03018, 86 Fed. Reg. 11283 (Feb. 14, 2024) Risk Determination Hearings for Unaccompanied Children - ABA comments urging agency to reconsider some aspects of proposed forms for Risk Determination Hearings, including clarity on the purpose and use of the forms, a stronger emphasis on notice of the right to counsel, notice of judicial review, and a child-centered approach. Issues relating to access to counsel and funding for the Legal Orientation Program. Issues related to unaccompanied alien children, including access to counsel and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. Issues regarding the operations of the immigration courts, including establishing an independent Article I immigration court system. Issues relating to decreasing the use of detention and expanding alternatives to detention.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| CHRISTINA ENNIS | — |
| KRISTI GAINES | — |
Law Enforcement/Crime/Criminal Justice LAW
H.R.4987/S. 1677, the Democracy Restoration Act and other activity in support of restoring the right to vote in federal elections for those leaving prison. H.R. 3019/S. 1401, the Federal Prison Oversight Act, and other activity in support of increased transparency and oversight of the conditions of federal prisons. H.R. 7617/S. 3900, the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act, activity in support of a prohibition on no-knock warrants limited to drug cases. Activity in support of reintroduction of the Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act concerning attorney-client confidentiality between attorneys and their incarcerated clients. General research and discussions surrounding Supreme Court ethics rule and funding for the federal courts and federal defender legal services. H.R. 2955/S. 1351, the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act - to provide greater oversight for youth treatment programs and promote best practices for identifying and preventing institutional child abuse. Proposed changes to Customs and Border Protection Directive No. 3340-049 (Border Search of Electronic Devices Containing Information, dated August 20, 2009), Customs and Border Protection Directive No. 3340-049A (Border Search of Electronic Devices, dated January 4, 2018), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Directive No. 7-6.1 (Border Searches of Electronic Devices, dated August 18, 2009) to prevent border officials from reading, duplicating, seizing, or sharing attorney-client privileged or confidential client documents or information contained on attorneys laptop computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices at U.S. border crossings unless the officials first obtain a subpoena based on reasonable suspicion or a warrant supported by probable cause.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| DAVID EPPSTEIN | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
| KENNETH GOLDSMITH | — |
Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR
H.R. 20 and S. 567, Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act-provisions in Section 202 that would amend Section 203(c) of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, 29 U.S.C. 433(c), to require attorneys to report certain confidential client information to the Department of Labor.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
Medicare/Medicaid MMM
Support legislation that would establish clear criteria for when a Medicare set-aside may be reviewed by Medicare, provides a time frame for CMS to review set-aside submissions and provides an optional direct payment of set-aside amounts to Medicare.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| DAVID EPPSTEIN | — |
Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD
Communications regarding international trade in legal services and overseas market access for U.S. firms and lawyers.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| KRISTI GAINES | — |
Health Issues HCR
Communications regarding implementing a Guardianship Court Improvement Program. Support for legislation that would allow a private right of action for people with disabilities harmed by air carriers.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| DAVID EPPSTEIN | — |
Banking BAN
S.2860, the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act, or the SAFER Banking Act - a bill would allow financial institutions to provide legally-operating cannabis businesses access to critical banking services - including bank accounts, credit cards, and checks - without fear of retribution by federal regulators.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| DAVID EPPSTEIN | — |
Housing HOU
S.1753/H.R.3479 RESTORE Act of 2023 - supporting repeal of the lifetime ban on individuals with a drug felony conviction from accessing SNAP assistance Fair Future Act (Not yet introduced) - provisions repealing the Thurmond Amendment to the Fair Housing Act, which creates a lifetime exemption from federal fair housing protections for people convicted of a drug distribution crime, regardless of mitigating factors. Eviction Crisis Act (Not yet re-introduced) - provisions that would help people facing eviction by increasing the availability of landlord-tenant focused Community Courts as well as the key language urging greater funding for the Legal Services Corporation to provide legal assistance to those facing eviction who cannot afford adequate counsel.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| CHRISTINA ENNIS | — |
Defense DEF
Draft legislation making it easier for spouses of U.S. servicemembers to practice law in the jurisdictions to which they move without undue delay or burden.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| HOLLY O'GRADY COOK | — |
| LARSON FRISBY | — |
| JAMES MICHAEL O'NEILL | — |
Shown as published by the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Clerk under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The official filing is the record; open it for the full form.